Long ago I came across this picture on Twitter and I thought it would be so much fun to do this book challenge.

Usually I'll pin some reading challenges on Pinterest and maybe aim to cross off as many as possible in a year. But I liked that with this I could think about the books I've already read, and even figure out what types of books I've been ignoring!

I posted my responses to Twitter each day in October, but below is a summary of my responses to the 30 Day Book Challenge!

Day 1: Favorite Book in a Series

City of Masks: Stravaganza Series by Mary Hoffman

I’ve written about this series before, but I really do love it, and City of Masks is the first in the series, where it all starts. One of the last books I purchased at a school book fair. It will always have a special place in my heart.

Just look how tattered that book is.

It's been loved and shared so many times over the years.

Day 2: Favorite book by your favorite author

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Call me basic. I don't care! I love this book. I really really do. I also love Jane Austen. I haven't even read all of her books, but I can't wait to get to them all. Even if I haven't had a chance to read them yet, I have slowly been collecting them over the years.

Day 3: A book I did not finish

Ocean At the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

I know it’s short. But I was super not feeling it, to put it lightly. So I just didn’t finish it. Life’s too short to read books you don’t like. And despite all the hype around this book, I did not enjoy it in the least.

Day 4: A book you remember from your childhood

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

I read this when I was younger and I just adored the story. I loved it and have wanted a home with a secret garden of my own ever since. Or maybe I would settle for a giant willow tree in my back yard, with a little reading nook, hiding underneath.

Day 5: Favorite classic novel

Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne

I don’t really like classics, but if I had to pick, I would say Scarlet Letter. I remember as I was reading it I kept thinking about how unbothered Hester is. There's gossip all around her but she just goes about living her life.

Day 6: A book that broke your heart

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Pretty sure this shattered my heart into dust. I loved Ove so much. And he reminded me so much of my granddad.

Day 7: Best audiobook to listen to on a road trip

Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson

So I do not listen to audio books, because I just can't seem to pay attention. It's really unfortunate because I used to spend so much time commuting, but I kept finding myself zoning out. And even when others read something out loud to me, I've found that my brain processes it all best when I just read it myself.

But I have a friend who long ago told me that Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson was hilarious and he loved listening to it. So that's my pick for this day!

Day 8: A series everyone should read

Princess Academy by Shannon hale

I've blogged about this series before as well! It’s a great story with great characters and its just so wholesome. I love that all the girls in this book are well rounded and really great girls! They don't fit into some specific box, neither boy crazy or a complete bookworm. They've got range, and I love it.

Day 9: Favorite book to give as a gift

52 Lists Journals by Moorea Seal

I give a lot of books, especially to kids, but there’s no one size fits all book that I like to gift. However, if I'm looking for a gift, or doing a giveaway, one of my favorite things to include is a journal from the 52 Lists series by Moorea Seal. You can purchase at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or on the site here.

Day 10: A book that makes you cry happy tears

Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf

The books that make me cry are usually super sad but, if I remember correctly, this made me happy cry. Or at least it got me really close to crying. It's a beautiful book. Honestly, I just love stories about old people.

Day 11: A literary character you want to have dinner or drinks with

Monsieur Perdu from The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

I have yet to try any of the recipes found in the back of this book, but I’m pretty sure we would make a delicious meal together and talk about all the wonderful books. Maybe he could even prescribe me one of the books from his Literary Apothecary!

Day 12: A "popular" book you hate

Girl On the Train by Paula Hawkins

I hated Girl on the Train. I think I got 50 pages in before giving up. Literally every awful thing I worried about happening to me happened to the main character in the first 30 pages. It was painful to read. I couldn't do it, and quite honestly, thrillers make me anxious as is. I don't need to read one that is about all my worst fears.

Day 13: A book with a color in the title

Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz

Another old series I read a while ago, but it's a fun YA series about wealthy teen vampires in NYC. You can read more about why I liked it here!

Day 14: A fairy tale retelling

Briar Rose by Jane Yolen

I loved this retelling of Sleeping Beauty. The way the classic story was woven into the story of family, relationships, and history was wonderful. I highly recommend reading it!

Day 15: A book that makes you cry sad tears

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Like I said, books don't usually make me cry cry, but I had to read this in a high school English class, and I'm pretty sure it got me really close to crying. Or maybe I was prepared to be sad so I braced myself and held it together. I can't quite remember.

Day 16: A book you've read more than once

The only books I read more than once are children’s books to my nieces & nephews as requested. There’s too many books & not enough time. I can’t bring myself to re-read a book when I could cross another off my list.

Book Challenge Day 17: A book with a person’s name in the title

Emma by the lovely Jane Austen!

Day 18: A book you like by an author no longer living

Night by Elie Wiesel (and Dawn and Day too)

Wiesel actually passed away shortly after I read Night for the first time. Also, I just feel like with everything going on right now, the world could use a reminder of the horrors of ethnic cleansing, and what it does to the lives of those effected.

Day 19: An audio book you like because of the narrator's voice

Again, I can't do audio books, but I've heard the narrator for the Harry Potter series is amazing!

Day 20: A book with an unreliable narrator

White Dancing Elephants by Chaya Bhuvaneswar

It’s actually a collection of short stories but I’m going with it because it should have come with a warning that I’d feel very, very sad things, and I would feel them very, very strongly.

Day 21: An anthology you love

If They Come For Us by Fatimah Asghar

I love this collection of poems, and I was lucky enough to hear her read some of my absolute favorites at the launch of Halal if You Hear Me, in Chicago.

Day 22: An LGBTQ+ love story

Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars A Dangerous Trans Girl’s Confabulous Memoir by Kai Cheng Thom

It’s not a love story but this past Pride Month I read Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars. Reading more LGBTQ+ stories is something I'm working on. You can read my review here!

Day 23: A book quote you know by heart

There isn’t one. I actually went to go check because I didn't want to look stupid when I actually quoted the book incorrectly, but it turns out the one I was thinking of is from the movie, NOT THE BOOK?! My mind was just blown when I checked, but it’s a beautiful quote and if I could’ve written my own vows I would have included it. So here it is anyways!

‘You have bewitched me body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you.’

From Pride & Prejudice (the movie)

Day 24: A book collaboration by two or more authors

Crown of Sunlight: The Corvinus Chronicles by Payton Taylor

I actually haven't been able to read this one yet but it's on my TBR and I can’t wait to pick it up!

Day 25: A book villain you actually love

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

I don’t know about love, but Madame Defarge was pretty badass. The way she quietly knit the names of people she intended to send to the guillotine. She was ruthless. Paired with her knitting needles, I just loved the imagery of it.

Day 26: A biography everyone should read

Scandalous Woman: The Lives and Loves of History’s Most Notorious Women by Elizabeth Kerri Mahon

This was a was fun and a great way to learn about women throughout history. There are multiple profiles of women, each about 6-8 pages in length, who all seemed to be way ahead of their time! This was also the book I ever hid for my first ever book fairy drop! You can hear more about it on my Book Fairy Instagram story!

Day 27: A book you read every year

Again, I've never re-read a book, let alone read the same one every year. I know for a while, Greg would make it a point to re-read at least one Harry Potter book each summer. God willing I hope I can read the illustrated Harry Potter books to my kids one day. Otherwise, there isn't really a book I think I'll make time to re-read.

Day 28: A classic you haven’t read yet but plan to

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

In anticipation of the movie and the book fairies Read-A-Thon! I am making time for

Little Women this year. I can't wait to read it, and do a special book fairy drop!

Day 29: A book cover you love!

Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli

Isn't that cover just magical? It makes me think of the most amazing view of all the stars in the galaxy. The black and shades of gold, rose gold, and copper just look so warm. I love it!

Day 30: The book you're reading right now

Inland by Tea Obreht

Currently reading this for book club and I can't wait to post my review!

If you were to do this challenge, what would some of your answers be? Is there a category you don't have an answer for you? Share your thoughts!